What To Do When Your SEO Isn't Working

Search engine optimization (SEO) can be frustrating. You follow every strategy that has worked before, but nothing seems to move the needle.

What do you do when SEO efforts stall?

Here are a few broad, practical steps to help you get your SEO efforts back on track.

Why SEO Efforts Sometimes Stop Working

SEO experts often fall into patterns, relying on tactics they know and trust. Some focus heavily on on-page SEO, fine-tuning page content and keyword placement. Others lean on off-page SEO, like building backlinks or guest posts. Then there are those who emphasize CTR (click-through rate) manipulation strategies, believing engagement metrics will drive ranking improvements.

The problem? When these go-to strategies hit a wall, continuing to apply them over and over won’t deliver results.

Why repeatedly tune your car’s engine when the real problem is a flat tire?

To recover, SEOs need to change their habits and find new methods to apply.

Common Pitfalls SEOs Encounter

Fear of Using Keywords Properly

Many SEOs avoid using keywords repeatedly out of fear of triggering penalties. This fear can lead to weak content that underperforms. On the other hand, some SEO professionals go too far, cramming pages with entities and secondary keywords, which can dilute the focus of the primary term.

If you’re writing a page on "Les Paul guitars," it’s tempting to expand the article to include details about Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin. However, doing so may confuse search engines about what the page is really about. Stay focused on the core topic to avoid “topical confusion.”

Pro Tip: Check how often competitors use specific keywords on their ranking pages. If the top-ranking sites use a keyword 10 times, match or slightly exceed that density to remain competitive.

The Risks of Relying on Schema Too Heavily

While structured data (schema) can boost relevance, overloading every page with schema can lead to confusion. Adding extensive schema on multiple unrelated topics across a site may result in pages losing their intended focus.

Keep schema simple and relevant to the content on each page.

Make sure your structured data supports your on-page efforts rather than overshadowing them.

Internal Linking: A Missed Opportunity

Internal linking is one of the most powerful yet overlooked SEO strategies. It’s important to make sure links connect relevant content logically.

SEOs often make two common mistakes:

• Unrelated linking: A plumbing service page links to an electrical service page, diluting the relevance for both.
• Orphan pages: These are pages with no internal links pointing to them, making them hard for users and search engines to find.

Pro Tip: Imagine you run a local services website that offers plumbing and HVAC work. To keep topics siloed, link plumbing-related content only to other plumbing pages and HVAC content within its own silo. This helps search engines understand the structure of your site and improves topical relevance.

Why Backlinks Still Matter

Even with great content, some pages won’t rank without backlinks.

Many SEOs neglect this, believing (more likely, hoping) that content alone should carry a site to the top. While large-scale link-building isn’t always necessary, having even a handful of high-quality backlinks can make a difference.

Example: If your competitors have at least one referring domain for their top-ranking pages, and your page has zero, it’s time to build a few strategic links. This can be as simple as publishing a press release (using naked links or brand name links) or securing guest posts from relevant blogs.

Make sure your backlinks use descriptive anchor text relevant to the content. Avoid generic phrases like “click here” or overusing branded anchor text across every link—doing so may dilute the link’s relevance.

When Technical Issues Stall Progress

SEO isn’t just about content and links; technical issues can sabotage your efforts, too. Some of the most common problems include:

• Blocking Googlebot: Pages might unintentionally block search engines through robots.txt or meta no-index tags. I've seen this in the wild many, many times.
• 404 Errors: Having many broken pages can affect a site’s trustworthiness.
• Mismanaged Redirects: Sending multiple orphan pages to the homepage can create confusion. Instead, point them to relevant internal pages.

Pro Tip: Use tools like Google Search Console and Screaming Frog to diagnose issues. If Google is blocked or running into technical errors, it will be reflected in Search Console.

Dealing with Duplicate Content and Cannibalization

Duplicate content occurs when multiple pages on the same site contain similar information. This confuses search engines, making it unclear which page should rank.

Cannibalization happens when different pages target the same keyword, leading Google to divide ranking authority across them.

For instance, if you have separate pages for “water heater repair” and “water heater installation,” but both compete for the same keyword, Google might not know which one to rank.

Solution:

• Merge similar content into one detailed page.
• Use 301 redirects to consolidate ranking signals if one page is redundant.

How to Stay Motivated When Nothing Works

When SEO efforts don’t deliver results, it’s easy to feel discouraged.

However, challenges are also opportunities to experiment and discover new strategies. The key is to approach SEO like a scientist—test, measure, and refine your tactics until you find what works.

If content isn't moving the needle, try focusing on technical SEO or off-page optimizations. If backlinks aren't driving results, revisit your on-page strategies.

SEO is a puzzle with multiple pieces—success often comes from assembling them all.

Pro Tip: Run five different AI-generated versions of a content piece to find the one that performs best. This iterative approach ensures that even when one attempt fails, others may succeed.

Sometimes, there are simply no explanations as to why this worked and that didn't. But, at least you can pick the winner!

Break Out of Your SEO Slump!

When your usual SEO strategies stop working, it’s time to take a step back and reassess your approach.

Focus on overlooked areas like internal linking, technical SEO, or keyword usage. At the same time, don’t fall into the trap of blaming Google updates for every setback—often, the solution lies within your control.

The most successful SEOs stay flexible, experiment with new ideas, and constantly refine their tactics. If a strategy doesn’t work the first time, try something different, test new tools, and learn from every setback.

With persistence, creativity, and the right mindset, you’ll overcome obstacles and build a more resilient SEO strategy that can withstand the next challenge.

Is Your Plate Already Full?

Let's be honest: SEO is a pain in the rear, and it would be a miracle if your in-house employee were an expert SEO. If your business struggling to rank, give us a shout at Boomcycle Digital Marketing, and we'll help you rank and eventually dominate your niche!